


Our Own

by bibliobaby



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Bucky Barnes Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Genetic Engineering, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, M/M, Multi, Steve Rogers Feels, Stucky - Freeform, StuckyAU, StuckyParents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:18:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9862157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibliobaby/pseuds/bibliobaby
Summary: Steve and Bucky are still growing back together when suddenly something more challenging then any mission is thrown into their hands. How is the famous Captain America and the ex-Winter Soldier going to handle a child...specifically their child?





	1. It's Us

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Shyest](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2256579) by [biblionerd07](https://archiveofourown.org/users/biblionerd07/pseuds/biblionerd07). 



> This work is heavily inspired by Shyest by biblionerd07 linked here. Go check her out she's literally one of the BEST Stucky writers and again the inspiration for this work. Okay let's begin!

Steve wakes up to screaming. 

Calmly but swiftly rising from where he was laying Steve sits up and squints, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness only to see Bucky violently shaking beside him, still lying down and asleep. 

"Bucky," Steve coos, "It's alright Bucky I got you. Bucky shhhhh you're safe, you're safe, you're with me." He repeats. 

Bucky whimpers. Steve continues to coo until Bucky jerks awake, eyes suddenly open frantically reaching for Steve. In the process he scratches Steve's forearm until he gets a good grip on him. Steve waits for Bucky to touch him before he touches Bucky so he feels safe and not under anyone's control. As soon as Bucky takes hold of Steve's forearms Steve brings his hands to Bucky's hips and pulls him close into an embrace. 

"It's okay baby I got you. You're with me," Steve promises. He doesn't promise him that everything's okay because after what they've lived through, everything's not. So he chooses his words carefully in order to assure Bucky until he's in a conscious state of mind. 

"You had a nightmare Buck," Steve states just to reel Bucky back into reality. He knows holding him is helping but they have their routines. This is what they do to bring each other back, they're the only ones who can. 

Steve waits a few minutes for Bucky's ragged breathing to slow to talk some more, not wanting to be overbearing. He waits until Bucky is calm again and when he is Bucky slowly pulls back, causing Steve to release his grip on him. Tears are streaming down Bucky's face and Steve wonders if it's a good time to console him, Bucky doesn't like feeling like he's being patronized even when Steve constantly tells him that he's not. So Steve just kisses his nose and lightly brushes his boyfriend's tear streaks away as if they were never there in the first place. 

"I'm sorry," Bucky finally breathes out even though they've talked about saying sorry for things out of their control over and over again. But Steve lets it go, this time. 

"Don't be sorry. I love you."

Bucky looks into his eyes, no longer tear stained but tired. He kisses Steve's lips softly but sweetly as a thank you and an I love you and everything else in between. 

"Let's go back to bed," Bucky responds sounding resigned. They'll talk about it in the morning if he's up for it Steve thinks to himself. But it's not long after they both get up, but it isn't screaming this time that wakes them. 

 

ZZZ ZZZ...ZZZ ZZZ...ZZZ ZZZ

Steve wakes instantly hearing the all but too familiar ringtone he was promised not to hear for a while. He hears Bucky shuffle around next to him as he follows the sound of the the phone and grabs it off the bedside table, not bothering to turn the light on.

He swipes screen to answer. 

"Cap, you need to see this. Now."

"Sam what is it. Why are you on a mission we aren't even supposed to be active until -what- next September?" Steve states more than asks." 

After things calmed down with the whole Accords thing everyone was at a kind of loss. Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Sam, and the rest of the team were still considered fugitives. But once Shield got semi-back on its feet with the help of Stark, Fury opted that they would be the ruling order in control of the Avengers. They took full responsibility of the Avenger's "faults" as people saw them and in return the problem of fugitives was determined an "internal manner" one that Shield would take care of. Steve was worried that it would be the same problem with the Accords, that people would be in total control of them and could station them wherever they please, but Fury assured that all that was said in the press and papers which didn't authorize them to be in _total_ control and talked about loopholes and such. Basically they couldn't poke their business into how Shield controlled the Avengers and how much control they enforce. So according to Fury things are exactly as they were with a little "umbrella coverage" for insurance. But their reinstatement wasn't happening until September of next year. 

"Fury called me in as backup," Sam replies to Steve's well-understood confusion, "You know they've been doing cleanup since Hydra was taken down. Well a group went up to a base in a remote part of Russia and found an active lab. It was more than they expected nonetheless they took out the remaining Hydra agents, but it's what they were working on in the labs that they called me in for. Me and Nat."

"Nat's there?" Steve asks. Bucky turns on the light and is up, looking intensely at Steve now. 

"She knows Russian and I dunno is the most nurturing."

"Nurturing? What does that have to do with what they found in the Labs. Nat's off the grid she's supposed to be on vacation, like you." 

"We're heading to New York now."

Steve shakes his head, "Sam this is all happening so fast what's going on."

"I wish I could tell you man and I'm sorry to make you anxious but this is just _not_ something I can say over the phone, even if Fury would let me, which he won't," Sam sighs. 

"Ok I'll be there." 

'There' meaning the Tower, Shield's temporary headquarters. Everyone knows Stark converted Stark Tower into the Avengers Tower and what was left of Shield resonated within, but what they don't know is the Tower's basement is basically the temporary Shield HQ, technology department, and science department, the department Steve'll be headed to shortly.

"Not just you. Both of you," Sam inquires. 

Steve looks to Bucky knowing good and well the super soldier had heard what Sam said. Both of them? Whatever situation this was, it couldn't be good. Nothing can be good when Hydra has something to do with it. 

Steve didn't know how wrong he was.

 

Sam hangs up the call making the line go dead and leaving a ringing in Steve's ear. He slowly lowers his hand and stares at the blank call log on the phone, as it automatically erases every trace of communication after a 30 seconds. Steve's still staring at the phone when Bucky takes it from his hand and sets it on the bed. Steve looks at him for an answer but Bucky knows as much as he does: nothing. With Stark's high tech it still would take Sam and Nat about 2 or 3 hours to get to the Tower. 

They get dressed anyway. 

\-----

Bucky wasn't doing well with all the suspense and Steve knew that, but his own anxiety was getting worse.

They've been sitting at the Tower for the majority of the day with no idea of what had been so important that it would cause Sam and Nat to go on the mission and what it had to do with him and Bucky. They've seen Sam about twice but upon seeing the look on his face something was definitely up and Steve decided it was best not to ask until he was told. Nat was no where to be found but Sam assured them she was with Fury. The next time Sam walked down the hall towards them he wasn't in a hurry, he was out of his suit and in casual clothes, but he was still obviously on edge. 

He sits down exhaustedly next Steve and Buck but only for a quick second. Bucky had his feet up on his chair and his head leaning on Steve for support. Steve on the other hand was leaning on Bucky for support, occasionally pressing his mouth to the brunettes forehead, trying to keep his anxiety at bay, trying to breathe normally and think positive, not letting this crushing feeling overcome him. They both look to Sam for an explanation. 

Sam wastes no time. 

"Fury says you're ready."

Bucky's jerks up but Steve is still trapped in his thoughts, trying to control his discretion. What if it was horrible? What if it was something they did to Bucky that they found out about? What if-

"Steve," Bucky snaps him out of his inner monologue and Steve looks up at him, then at Sam. He nods his head and shakes it off, pushing the ball of fear deeper and deeper into his chest.

They veer towards the stairs instead of the elevator, no one says anything, and head to Fury's secluded office. Small, anything but quaint, they step in. 

Bucky and Steve stand in front of a wooded desk and behind it is a sitting Fury, no eye patch. Why?

"Boys my apologies for ripping you from the solitude of your time away but there's something you need to see. This isn't something Shield can take into our own custody for long since it's simply not ours by nature," Fury starts. 

Both confused Bucky gives Steve a quick side glance and Steve's discontent shows more on his face. 

"I'm sure Wilson explained the extent of The situation to the best of his ability but I'm here to fill in the gaps. There's no easy way to put this-"

"Than say it," Steve blurts out interrupting him. He gives Fury an apologetic look. 

The Shield director sighs but says nothing. Instead he turns around, back towards them. _Did I get him angry?_ Steve thinks. But he's wrong. A holographic blue beam shoots out and scans Fury's un-patched eye and disappears as quickly as it appeared. Out of no where a small handle appears out of the wall that Steve assumes is only fit for Fury's hand as he grabs it, turns it, and the seems of a hidden door appear and loosen, opening and creating an entryway to what looks like a small lab and file room. Steve, Bucky, and Sam walk around the arched table and follow Fury silently into the room as they hear the now un-hidden door close behind them. 

The first thing Steve sees is a flash of red hair. Nat. He wants to say something to her m, but before the words leave his mouth Steve sees what was behind her. A small chubby toddler maybe nearing two-years old is standing straight up with gauze around a chubby fist and a brace around his knee. 

"Steve, Bucky," Fury starts as calmly as he can. Steve stares at the child in shock as Bucky puts his hand on his shoulder to balance himself. 

"This is Max...you're son."

 

\------

Nat nods her head in a quick greeting and apology and takes Max into another part of the secret lab. They're still in shock as Fury starts to explain.

"Hydra had many experiments as you know," he continues not meaning to eye Bucky, "we all know they weren't above experimenting on people, but this experiment was different. They managed to actually create one.

"Stem cell research, have you heard of that? A very 21st century concept and a very controversial, moral-questioning, riot-starting one at that, but Hyrda, being an advanced company didn't need moral approval, they just needed DNA."

Sam chimes in, reminding Steve he was still there, "As far as we know they used Steve's skin cells from who knows where, lying on the street after a battle maybe, and Bucky's..." he restrains from completing the sentence. Steve's taken high school ed classes, they all know the drill, but what lulls everyone into a short silence is the wonderment of how Hydra got Bucky's...that. The implication of the things Hydra did to Bucky on their own accord and not his. "DNA," Sam finishes softly.

"We found him," Sam continues in, "in a one way-mirrored containment cell in the lab like the twins said they were once held in. No crib, no toys, no anything, he just had a blanket and a cot bolted to the ground."

"Why," Bucky speaks up. He's doing that thing. He's doing the thing where he controls his voice, sets it to a steel, rigid tone. He only does this, Steve knows, when he's forcing himself to hide all of his emotions inside, a thing he has great training on thanks to Hydra, but he hasn't done it in so long, it takes Steve off guard. 

"You know why Barnes," Fury almost whispers. He's never this sentimental. "They wanted a super soldier, the ultimate one. And which two people have the greatest super soldier DNA of all time and are still alive? You two. His strength, his super soldier DNA is at maximum capacity. Both his parents are supersoldiers."

"Is that why his name is Max?" Bucky interjects in spite.

"Yes. Maximum Capacity, or максимальная вместимость which is what was written in his file. But for all intents and purposes we've taken the liberty to shorten it to Max." 

"So he's like us?" Steve states more than questions looking at Fury instead of the tiled floor he'd been staring at for so long.

"Depends on what you mean. You and Barnes both have the same supersoldier gene due to your serums, though they were artificially made and inserted into your DNA. This little guy is a one-in-a-million. I won't go in to the science of it because that's not my job but basically they thought this baby here could be stronger than both of you, 2x more indestructible, and 2x more dangerous"

"You said thought that time," Steve says. 

"They were trying to get both your super soldier genes to be dominant in his DNA but for some reason they kept clashing, pushing each other into recessiveness until this little guy's genes finally showed them both dominant."

"So then how's he not stronger than us?"

"I don't really know to be honest with you. Hydra thought that if he was born with super soldier genes he would be stronger than if he was injected with the genes after birth. Turns out even though the genes finally showed up dominant they're weaker than they are in yours or Barnes' DNA. The reason's most likely that that's just how the genes work when they're passed down. No one really knows because neither of you had children on your own accord and you were both injected by genes that were artificial in the first place. All in all Max isn't weak but he isn't double the indestructible. But most importantly, what he is is you, Cap. And you, Barnes."

Everyone's silent as they let the information sink in. Bucky still has his hand on Steve's shoulder but he isn't staring down at the floor shutting himself out, instead he's staring in the direction of where Natasha took the infant, the one who didn't deserve any of this, the boy too innocent for his own good. 

Steve snaps his head back up at Fury. 

"You said the genes kept fighting eachother into recessivness, therefore the experiment kept failing right?"

"Yes."

"How did it fail if he's still here?"

Fury takes a moment.

"He's the fifth experiment. The fifth and only successful one."

"There were four more before him," Bucky's voice shakes stating the obvious. He's loosing his monotone façade. 

"Like I said he's one-in-a-million," Fury avoids answering the question head on, "we think they were still in the process of trying to deem him a valuable asset when we found him. He's been through training, only three years old and he knows more than any kid should about tactical advantages."

"Weaponry or just hide and seek?" Steve asks in disgust. They're still talking about a child for godsake. A child who shouldn't know any of these things, who's problems should be taking a bath not enduring military training for who knows what. Steve realizes now why he's been so tense upon seeing Max. He feels protectiveness over this child, a child he doesn't even know but is his and Bucky’s. Max was there's. 

"We suspect he knows tactical advantages such as where and how to stay hidden over long periods of time, basic protection, and layers of strategy but again I say we suspect. We’re still not sure of all the details."

"So what are you asking Fury," Bucky questions but Steve thinks they both know the answer. 

"The safest place for a child isn't Hydra, it isn't a containment cell or a lab, not even here. The best place for this kid is a real home, a family, and there's no other family than his own fathers. Even if you wanted to give him up for adoption we can't just give this kid up, people will come looking for him."

"Who said anything about giving him up he's not even ours yet?" Steve interjects passionately.

"Well then Cap...he's yours. If you two need time to think about it you can. I know no time is a great time for the two of you but this couldn't wait and I know you wouldn't want me to hold something like this from you for more than a minute."

"No sh-"

"Buck," Steve interrupts. He looks at him. Steve wouldn't want anything less for this kid. He was there's even if this did come out of no where. But Bucky still has trouble thinking he's good enough to take care of himself. It's up to Bucky, and Steve says it with his eyes. 

Bucky stares across at him with doubt in his eyes. 

"Buck?" Steve isn't questioning if Bucky wants this or not. He knows Bucky would do anything for that child as he himself would and they don't even know the kid yet. What Steve's questioning is if Bucky thinks he can do this. Honestly. 

After a few seconds something in Bucky's face changes. The look of self-doubt is quickly replaced with...determination. Not knowing that what he'll say next will change their lives forever Bucky heaves in a quick breath.

"When can he come home," he says to Fury, still looking at Steve.

Home.


	2. It's New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Buck introducing themselves to Max, a mystery in himself. Emotion, cuteness, etc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read this before March 1, 2017 disregard this note!!! 
> 
> A few details were changed in this chapter. If you read this before March 1st and want to know a dialogue was added between Fury, Steve, and Bucky in the very beginning and Steve and Nat's convo is changed. srry thx

Fury brings them to the room Natasha has Max in after everything is read and signed. There wasn't much paperwork as Fury stated because, to be fair, the world had no legal record of Max even existing until now, let alone who he belonged to. It made Steve's stomach twist.

Before going in though, Fury stopped and turned to Steve and Bucky.

"I wanted to give you two a choice before anything, so here," he says putting his hand in the inside of his jacket, pulling out a small, scorched, and torn piece of paper. He hands it to Steve and Bucky draws in to get a closer look. Steve flips the thick paper over and sees the picture on the other side. It's of him and Bucky, before Bucky's fall. It's he same picture of the two of them laughing in the Smithsonian Muesem.

"Where'd you get this," Bucky asks, eyebrow raised in concern.

"It was sewed into the inside of his jumpsuit. The doctors found it and passed it to me personally." Fury answers.

Steve and Bucky look to each other trying to figure out what to think of this when Fury steps into the room.

"Romanov," Fury announces as they enter the small room in the back of the secret lab.

"Fury," she questions, eyes still on the three year old she was entertaining before they got there. Steve thought he heard her speaking Russian.

"Rogers and Barnes wanna meet the kid. You mind introducing them?"

Natasha looks up and nods her head curtly, then back at the child. She whispers something in Russian to him and directs her voice to Steve and Bucky. Max looks at Bucky first and then to Steve. He proceeds to slowly walk over to them with more poise than a normal four year old would have. The kid stops in front of Bucky who's standing next to Steve. The Winter Soldier lowers himself to the toddler'a height with a look in his eyes Steve only knows as extreme care. 

"He hasn't said a word since we found him," Natasha says to them both in a soft voice looking at Steve. "I talk to him in both Russian and English to see if he'll respond, though he acts as if he understands both."

Steve looks at Nat and follows her eyes back to Bucky and Max who stands before them. They all stay in silence as if waiting for something to happen. Bucky's eyes shift back and forth, looking the kid all over his face, though never meeting the child’s eyes. Steve takes the liberty of squatting to their height himself and stares at Bucky, lifting his chin to look at him, reassuring him. Then Bucky looks at Max, Steve does the same and _really_ looks at the child for the first time. 

The first thing he notices are his piercing grey-blue eyes, the ones he shares with Bucky. If you really looked at the kid you would say he's definitely a Rogers. The striking blond hair and prominent ears, but if you look at him closely you start to see Bucky. A feint split chin, a round nose, and who can miss those eyes. He really is both Steve and Bucky. He really is theirs.

Bucky seems to be having the same reaction Steve is because they both look at each other at the same time and then back at the boy. No wonder Nat was being so cautious and not her usual teasing, proud, knowing self. It was a serious moment. Max's face starts to scrunch up as if he's about to react badly and Steve and Bucky start to retract back to standing when Max steps closer to them once more, causing them to freeze again. His expression is starting to become more clear as it mirrors the same expression Bucky makes when he's confused, the same eyebrow lift and everything. With both Bucky and Steve frozen, the little boy slowly lifts his pudgy hand up to Bucky's face, and stops to rest it on his right cheek. Steve looks at Buck for any sign of digression, he knows that Bucky doesn't like anyone touching his face or hair still except Steve, but Bucky stares at the kid in...awe. Curiously he trails his hands up and into Bucky's still-shoulder-length-but-slightly-trimmed hair as Bucky still studies his face, Steve still studies Bucky, and the rest of the room still studies the three of them. Max's hand trails from Bucky's hair down to his shoulder, to his metal arm, the new one Tony paid for and replaced wordlessly, now able to be attached and reattached at Bucky's will, the one with Steve's star and not the Soviet's under Bucky's wishes. Max trails his hand down the false arm, tracing the star and the metal plates with a pudgy finger all the way down to his open palm. Max looks up at him for approval and when Bucky shows no sign of stopping him the baby boy continues to study Bucky’s metal fingers with his own pudgy ones. 

Finally Max looks up in Steve's direction to find him watching him just as Bucky is. Switching his right hand with his left so he doesn't have to let go of Bucky, Max lifts his right hand to Steve's right cheek just as he did Bucky. This time though the toddler trails to Steve's ears, tracing their outline then retracting his hand back to trace his own. He stretches his hand out one more time to place into Steve's palm, his left hand still in Bucky's metal palm. He looks up from Steve to Bucky and vice versa. Still silent, his eyebrows lift from their furrowed concentration, finally done with his evaluation. It's Steve and Bucky's turn to look anticipating. 

Max breathes in audibly and relaxes, his mind is made up. 

"безопасный," the boy says, speaking for the first time.  
He pauses and says it in English. "Safe," the boy says. This time Bucky says it with him. 

\---------

Sam sees them off at the elevator, Natasha goes in with them. Bucky is holding Max's hand since Max refused to let go of the metal ever since they got up off of the secret lab floor. Steve feared Bucky wouldn't be okay with the toddler holding his metal hand still, but Bucky didn't seem to complain, and for the first time in a long time his focus wasn't on Steve, but on their newfound child. Steve stands close to the front of the huge elevator with Nat as she presses the button to close the doors. Steve reaches into his pocket and pulls out the picture Fury handed him. 

"They found this sewn into the jumpsuit he was wearing in the lab," he says quietly as he hands the picture to Nat without looking at her, careful Bucky and Max don't hear them.

She looks down at the photo and slowly hands it back to him trying to catch his eye. 

"He knew us," he said still looking at the elevator doors.

"That's why he knew you were safe," she concludes still staring up at him. He relents and looks down to meet her eyes.

"Why would they give this to him if they were training him to be..." he takes a small glance towards Bucky and back at Nat. 

"You said it was sewn in Steve, obviously Hydra didn't know he had this.Someone in that godforsaken place must've felt some compassion or sympathy towards him. He was nurtured, maybe not explicitly, but secretly. 

"He's not hostile Steve," she continues, "If he were really, strictly trained to be the ultimate asset he would be to the slightest, deadly by now. But he's not, and he obviously knows you two, someone must've taught him, not only that but he knows you're good, both of you." She looks at Bucky at the end.

Steve gazes at Bucky and Max too, the two stealing looks at each other when the other isn't looking. He gives a small, pained smile at the floor then looks back at Natasha. 

"I'll dig Steve. You know me, I know and you know he's been shown some kind of love. He has to if he's this willing to trust two complete strangers."

"Not _complete_ apparently," Steve interjects. 

"Only from pictures though," the redhead corrects him." They pause for a moment. 

"He traced my face Nat, our ears. He knows he looks like us," Steve starts. 

"And you're thinking maybe he knows your relation to him," she's referring to him and Bucky being the kid's biological fathers. 

He nods, as the elevator door dings and opens, signaling they've reached the lobby. Steve looks back and waits for Bucky and Max to reach his side and then proceeds to step out of the elevator with them, Nat doesn't follow. 

"I'll let you know Steve," she says to him. Kissing her hand and waving a slight goodbye at Bucky and wishing Max a small 'see you soon' in Russian, the elevator door closes and the three head home to Brooklyn, not knowing what to do next. 

\------

Max stands in between the tv and the coffee table, becoming the center of attention in the living room, facing the couch for no reason. Steve is still taking off his shoes at the door when feels a sudden shift in the room. He rounds the corner to see Max standing there and Bucky standing at the head of couch looking heartbroken.

"What's-" Steve stops himself. He understands. 

"He's awaiting an audience Steve," Bucky says to the air, not bothering to turn around to look at him. "He's waiting for us to sit down so he can give a report, maybe give us a full list of his capabilities, his resume perhaps." Bucky finally turns around and looks at Steve, his back to the three year old. 

"Buck-" Steve starts, afraid Bucky's going to snap now. He was doing so well at the Tower. But before he can do anything Bucky cuts in, surprisingly he doesn't snap. 

"Steve," he whispers desperately, "we have to save him."

"Oh Buck," Steve sighs sadly. He takes his hand and leads him to stand next to Max, who knows no better then what he's been taught. 

Steve squats down to Max pulling Bucky down along with him, soon he'll be wishing to be back to his short pre-serum height because of all this bending down. 

"Hey bud," Steve says to Max. "You don't have to do all that. You can just sit down on the couch like a regular kid."

Max tilts his head and raises his eyebrow in confusion at the words 'regular kid'. Bucky sighs. It dawns on Steve that he hasn't known anything but a laboratory thinking back to the conversation he had with Nat on the elevator not to long ago. 

Steve looks at Bucky for help. He doesn't really know what Max could be okay with doing. Max is more like Bucky, in the sense that they've both been under attainment, in a lab, under Hydra. 

"Um..." Bucky thinks, "how about we play hide and seek?"

Max looks at him expectantly. Bucky's on to something. Fury did say he was trained in this field, maybe Bucky would could show him the fun in it.

"Now, uh, so you're probably gonna be really good at this game but this is how you play. Everyone hides while someone tries to find them. If the person who's looking for everyone finds them, they win. If someone stays hidden and the seeker gives up, then they win."

Steve and Bucky wait for Max to do something to signal he understands. He quickly nods his head. 

Bucky smiles at his reaction. 

"Alright," he says looking at Steve. Steve nods in encouragement, pushing him to keep going. "So you don't have to stand here anymore, we can play. I'll be it and you and Steve can go hide."

Max twists his mouth. 

Oh right, they haven't even introduced themselves correctly. 

"I'm Steve," Steve says warmly to the toddler, clearing his slight confusion. 

"Oh yeah and I'm Bucky," Bucky understands his cue, "you can call us whatever you want though," he urges on a little to see if the boy will talk. He says nothing.

"Ok so I'm the seeker. I'll count alright and you go hide." Max still stands in front of Bucky. The two adults have no idea what else to do. 

"Buck," Steve tries, " I think you have to order him."

"What?" 

"He nods and understands but you suggest things. He won't move until you order him. He's trained," the last of Steve's sentence trails off even more heartbroken. 

Bucky's still squatting in front of the child taking in what Steve's saying. He says something in Russian. Max immediately stills, standing straight and tall, eyes intent on Bucky. Steve thinks he heard Bucky say the word soldier. 

Bucky's stares at the little blond, his jaw clenched at the sight of what Hydra made him, reminiscent of what they made them. He says something softer in Russian and Max is finally at ease. He touches Bucky's metal arm and then slowly walks towards Steve. Steve looks at Bucky with a questioning expression. 

"I told him he no longer had to take orders, from anyone. And that we were here to take care of him." Bucky answered Steve's unasked question. 

"So what's he doing now," Steve asks looking down at the boy looking up at him. 

"Well he still wants to play Steve." Bucky responds. "One, two, three, four..." Bucky counts. 

The three year old pulls at Steve's pants and looks up with him with urgency, as if he was saying _let's go_. 

Steve goes. 

 

Bucky ends up finding Steve in the closet near the bathroom and assumes Max was near since Steve wouldn't veer far from him. He checks the bathroom and after a few seconds he turns around to find Max perched above the doorway in dead silence. 

"I found you," he calls. Max slowly lowers himself then jumps the rest of the way down to the floor. 

"So whaddya wanna do now?" Steve asks the boy. He leads them back into the living room of their Brooklyn apartment and grabs Steve's hand. He ushers him to stand where Bucky was when he was the seeker and stares up at him waiting. 

"One..." Steve starts. Max spins around urging Bucky to follow him. 

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it I have a lot planned for this work. Stay tuned and please comment, tell me how u feel!


	3. It's a Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is starting to like these two softies.

Steve tells Bucky about his conversation with Nat on the elevator and Bucky is concerned but agrees with Steve that they shouldn't push the boy until he warms up to them and that they should also wait for more news from Nat. 

After the boy tired of playing hide and seek Steve struggled to find something else for Max to do. They didn't really know what three year olds...did., let alone what post-military-trainee toddlers did after escaping encampment.Bucky suggested coloring. So Steve shuffled through his growing art supplies, took a moment to quietly thanked Clint for the gag-gift Avengers crayons he got him for his birthday, and gave them to Bucky for the child to use. By the time Bucky explained to Max what he was supposed to do with the mysterious tools it was almost 11:30, and after he coaxed the silent toddler into eating some oatmeal they got the kid ready for bed. After getting Max washed, he had an aversion to baths they had learned so they made him stand in the tub and cleaned him with soap and a bucket of water, Steve and Bucky dressed him in one of Steve's big shirts and walked him to the spare bedroom. Max didn't say anything when they tucked him in the bed that was 5x too big for him. Nevertheless they wished him a goodnight, left the door slightly ajar, and went to bed, not knowing what else to do. 

So when Bucky wakes up at 2am to get some water and passes the room to catch Max struggling to fight sleepiness to sit up and stay alert, he tiptoes back to his and Steve’s bedroom to his wake the blond up.

"Steve," Bucky whispers.

"Yea Buck," Steve groans, wiping his eyes.

"He's still awake," Bucky starts. Steve really gets up now. 

"What?"

"Shhh," Bucky hushes him. "You might scare him. He's just alert, well, trying to be." He remembers Max's head was bobbing a little.

"But why-"

"Don't you remember when you first got me to stay here with you. I didn't want to be anywhere else but when you left me in that same room I couldn't take it. I stayed up all night afraid of someone coming to hurt me, or worst, me hurting you. I've had it worst than that kid in their thank God, but he's still a kid. He was still trained to a certain point. He's still scared. I don't know what they did to him, negative reinforcement to say the least. You and I both know Hydra's not below that, but I know he's still scared. Alone. For once I understand something more than anyone else does. I know what he's going through, I gotta save him baby," he finally finishes in choppy sentences, referring to what he said when Max was standing in the living room when they first got home.

Steve, fully sitting up now, takes Bucky's hands into both of his and lifts them up to his lips, kissing each one. 

"Alright love," he looks into Bucky's eyes. "Let's go see him."

They both slowly walk to the guest bedroom, purposefully making their footsteps loud and audible. Steve waits a few seconds and looks over at Bucky then knocks quietly on the door. He slowly opens it to see Max sitting up against the headboard, exactly how Buck described him looking a few minutes ago. 

"Hey bud," Steve starts quietly. "You can sleep it's safe here." 

Max doesn't say anything in reply but is fully alert now due to their intrusion. He looks at the two, waiting for Steve or Bucky to say something more. 

Steve looks to Bucky for backup. 

"Hey Max," Max looks up at Bucky at the mention of his name, "no one's gonna hurt you here. Steve and I aren't gonna let that happen, I pinky promise."

Max scrunched up his eyebrows, in the famous Barnes way, at the words 'pinky promise'. 

"It's a...thing you do," Bucky continues, "a thing you do when you say you’re gonna do something and you really really meant it. Here I'll show you." They move to the side of the bed and kneel down. Bucky turns to Steve and raises his left pinky. He looks back at Max. 

"Now Steve, I pinky promise that I'll hug you right now." Steve smirks and goes along with it. He raises his own pinky and hooks it with Bucky's. 

"Never break a pinky promise," they both chime as they swing their hooked pinkies back and forth, just like they used to do in the 30's. Some things never change. 

They both look back at Max and Bucky continues. 

"Now I hug him because I promised." Bucky proceeds to hug Steve and looks back at Max. "Got it?" He asks. 

Max shakes his head and slowly lifts his left pinky to both of them. Bucky hooks his pinky around the toddler's small chubby one first, and then Steve hooks his around the both of theirs. 

"We promise we'll never hurt you and always protect you. You're our mission Max," Bucky tells the boy. 

"Forever," Steve adds.

Bucky looks to Steve then to Max, the two blonds looking tired and cute as ever. "Forever," he agrees. 

"Never break a pinky promise," Steve and Bucky say as they swing their pinkies back and forth hooked to the toddler's. 

The three year old makes an adorable noise in the back of his throat, seemingly amused and does something they haven't seen him do since they've met him. He smiles. He blushes actually, letting go of their pinkies and looking down at the bed, a trait definitely passed down from Steve's side of the family Bucky concludes as the tips of Max's ears become a feint pinkish color. Both Bucky and Steve smile in return. Max smiled for the first time and they couldn't be more ecstatic. 

"Hey, you wanna get some milk and cookies so you can go to sleep now? It'll help?" Steve suggests. Max looks to Steve hesitantly then to Bucky, raising his eyebrows. Bucky encourages him with a slight smile and nod so Max agrees and lets Steve take his small pudgy hands to lead him off the huge bed. This kid is definitely sold on Bucky more than he is Steve, he should've known. He tries to climb down the 2ft tall bed still holding Steve's hand but it doesn't work out so well. He looses his balance and slips but Steve quickly catches him at the last second and sets him carefully on the ground. Bucky had the same reaction and his hands are steadily hovering around Steve's own as he sets Max down. Max looks up at Steve and Bucky, his tiny heart must've skipped a beat which makes Steve bite his lip. But he shakes it off quite adorably as if to say 'I'm okay let's go'. 

Once he gets past the small scare they start to head out of the bedroom when Max stops in the doorway and looks up to the giants holding his hands. Bucky and Steve look at him expectantly, wondering why he stopped when he lets go of their hands and raises up his own, opening and closing his fists in a grabbing motion, silently asking to be picked up. Bucky, of course, is also sold on this kid so he picks him up off the cold floor, Steve's oversized shirt threatening to skirt past his feet, and settles into Bucky's arms. Before they start to head to he kitchen again though, the toddler lifts his pinky and hooks it around Steve's and then pulls them to hook around Bucky's mirroring what they did a minute ago. They really would protect him, he gets it. And Steve and Bucky would do anything to show him that, no matter how long it takes. 

 

After eating milk and cookies the three end up crashing on the couch, Max still in Bucky's arms and Steve snuggling the both of them. 

\-----

For the next few days Max is situated on the couch, not wanting to go back to the huge, lonely bed in the spare room and refusing to sleep without Steve and Bucky near him if not by his side. But after Bucky can't go the morning without cracking his neck and back in seven different ways, making Steve cringe in disgust, Steve decides they have to go out and get Max a proper bed...and some proper clothes while they're at it. 

One morning he looks to Max sitting at the kitchen counter as Bucky's handing him a bowl of cereal, another one of his shirts hanging way passed Max's rump and flowing off of the seat. _Yea new clothes_ Steve thinks. 

"What hun?" Bucky asks him. Apparently he thought it out loud.

"I was just saying we need to buy Max some new clothes along with a bed and other four year old stuff."

"Oh yea I was looking up on the internet what three year olds need." Bucky says nonchallantly. 

"Really?" Steve questions. 

"Yea I read that-" Bucky stops himself looking down at Max. Steve follows his gaze to see Max has pushed his cereal away from him and towards Bucky. His face scrunched up in disgust. Steve smirks and walks over to Max's side at the swively chair. 

"What's wrong buddy?" Steve humors him. 

Max looks to Steve and back at the cereal, twisting his mouth up again and scrunching up his nose. Steve could laugh but he wonders if he's even seen cereal before. Although to be fair it's not the best cereal to have for your first-cereal-experience. It looks like a pile of pencil shavings swimming in milk, and he doubts he can get Max to eat it by having Bucky explain its digestive benefits.

"You wanna tell us what's wrong with it bud?" They're still trying to get him to talk a little. He's warming up to them, yes, but he still hasn't made a peep, no sign of child-like emotion except when he smiled the first day he was there and occasionally when he whines when Bucky tries to get up in the middle of the night. 

Max doesn't say a thing in response.

"Is it gross looking or...do you not know what it is?" Steve tries again. Max looks up at him but he can't tell which one he's saying yes to. 

"Maybe we should get him some kids cereal too." Steve adds. Bucky sighs.

"You wanna go out today?" He asks. 

"You think he's ready to go outside?"

"Well we can't keep sleeping on the couch and he needs some clothes."

"Toys too. According to the website we should get him some bath tools, grooming products, child-sized eating utensils, and well obviously," he takes a moment to look down at the toddler who refuses to eat, "some food he can actually eat. Did you know they need to get certain vitamins everyday. There's one for like, every letter in the alphabet."

Steve smiles, even though Bucky thinks he's a monster still sometimes, that he's too dangerous to be around anyone as precious as Steve or Max let alone take care of them, Steve thinks Bucky is the most protective, caring, and nurturing guy for the job. 

Bucky’s rambling on about what Max is going to eat now since he absolutely needs breakfast because the website said breakfast is the most important meal of the day (but when Steve told Bucky that a few months ago Bucky stuck his tongue out at him) when he knocks the bowl off of the table, shattering it and making a mess all over the tiled floor which makes Max jump a little. His little face going rigid. 

"Shit," Bucky and Steve curse at the same time looking to each other, to Max, to the mess, and all over again. They scramble to clean it up when they hear the kids voice for the first time since the Tower . 

"Shit." He repeats in the most adorable voice Steve has ever heard, almost a perfect mix of his and Bucky's voice together, only in a higher, child-like octave. Too bad one of his first words (to Steve and Bucky anyway) was a curse word...actually nevermind it’s not that surprising. 

Steve looks at Bucky who is completely awe-struck. He starts to laugh. Bucky follows in suit and before they know it the three year old grants them another pleasant surprise and enters a fit of giggling himself. Max's heartwarming laughter makes Steve and Buck look at him in even more awe until his contagious giggling sends them into an even bigger fit. Bucky steps over the mess to the other side of the counter next to Steve and Max and picks the smiling boy up, bouncing him up in the air a little and then back down to settle against his chest. An adorable squeal of content escapes the boy's mouth followed by another fit of giggles as he settles into Bucky's arms, but not until Steve pulls them both into his chest. Steve and Bucky pull away at the same time, still hugging at the waist, to look at the boy's face. His laughing dies down and he lifts both of his pudgy hands, resting them on Steve and Bucky's cheeks. He looks back and forth between Steve and Bucky in all seriousness but after a few seconds he can't help but crack a smile.

"Shit!" The boy squeals.

Steve and Bucky burst out laughing and Max laughs at their reaction. 

"Maaaaaxx that's a bad word you can't say that," but Bucky can't keep in his giggles.

Steve looks at them. Besides the nights of snuggling up to Bucky and the vulnerable baby boy, for the first time, Steve feels like they're a real family, one laugh and mess at a time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Comment I'd love to read your opinions. Also I don't know if Bucky's coming off as like a cheery-kinda guy but I want to eventually do a Bucky POV where you get to be in his mind and see how he thinks of himself and his progress. Right now the story's kind of general but I want to gradually include Steve's and Bucky's actual perspectives and insecurities and fears and yay. But trust me I'm getting better.


	4. It's Called Laughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve venture to finally get Max what three year olds need, but when they get back they figure out what he needed all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff before the storm... (if you get that reference) Also spot the cameo ;)

Max tripping over himself in Steve's long t-shirts to get to Bucky was the last straw. Sure, it was the most adorable thing the two had ever seen (which is everything this kid does) but he needed his own things. A week after first adopting Max, it was time for Steve and Bucky to venture out and get the kid some dam clothes, and everything else Google said a three year old needed which according to Bucky was everything. The two had planned to go shopping sooner but it was never the right time and they were scared of how Max would react to being outside surrounded by so many people, it was New York to be fair. But as Sam put it, maybe Steve and Bucky were just as scared as Max...maybe even more. So the two decided today was the day to go out and get this boy his necessities.

With the earnings of being one of earth's marvelous heroes (which is basically a government thank you for saving us and isn't much), most of their money supply is provided by Tony's Avengers Pay plan (which is Tony basically throwing them more than enough financial stability), Steve and Bucky could buy Max a whole store if they wanted to. They obviously don't plan on it but...things happen. 

The three venture out of Brooklyn to Manhattan, calling a car because they don't think Max is ready for the subway yet. Most people don't know Steve and Bucky because their superhero counterparts wear masks and after Zemo's impersonation of Bucky in London, people stopped trying to spot famous superheroes for a while. When they get to Manhattan they step out of the car, and head to the Macy's in Times-Square. Steve was afraid it would be way too much for Max and even Bucky, but surprisingly they were doing quite well. Being in a sea of millions of people made them seem invisible somehow, and the bright sights and colors excited Max more than it did stress him out.

They head into the kid's clothing section of the department store and pick out a bunch of clothes for Max, with the help of a store clerk. Max, who was having the time of his life in the child seat of the shopping cart, is pretty content as they roll him around letting him grab some colorful t-shirts off the rack.

"How ironic," Bucky says. 

Steve turns around from searching for Max’s size from a selection of corduroy pants to sees Max holding up a Captain America pj set. He laughs and Bucky puts it in the cart. 

"Woah Misters how much are you buying," the young teen helping them blurts out, “I-Iii mean not that it's a problem," she stutters. Bucky smirks. 

"Well we need to get him a whole wardrobe," Steve replies kindly. "Actually," he continues, "we basically have to buy him everything, if you know what I mean."

"OOH! Did you two just adopt?" The clerk asks. 

Bucky and Steve look at each other quickly. They've delt with some nasty stares on the street before but weren't prepared for someone to say something to their faces about it. Bucky clenches his jaw prepared for a fight...er heated arguement. (She was just a teenaged girl) But the clerk takes a look at Max who's playing with a pair of light up slippers and continues,

"That's sooooo adorable he's so cute. He kinda looks just like you though. How crazy," She finishes. Bucky unclenches his jaw and Steve sighs in relief, smiling appreciatively.

"Thanks, um while we're at it could you show us where the kids bathroom supplies is?" Steve asks. 

"Of course! Right this way," the peppy teen chimes, almost tripping on the way. 

Remember when Steve said they could they basically buy the whole store? Well... Things happen okay?

Steve and Bucky aren't usually the two guys to waste or buy more than they need, but when it came to Max, those big grey-blue eyes did wonders. But also the boy had absolutely nothing when they took him in from Shield so how could they _not_ get him everything a three year old possibly needed...so what if they were went a tad overboard. 

"It's all for a good cause," Bucky dignifies as he's buckling Max in the car seat Tony's car service provider conveniently had installed. 

"Yea but you're still doing all the light work buddy," Steve teases him as he carries the box containing Max's whole bed (assembly still required of course) to the trunk of the Sudan.

"You sure you don't need help with that," the driver butts in with a slight New Yorker accent. 

"It's quite alright sir we've got it but thank you," Steve responds in his all-charming Captain America voice. The drive is quite old with white hair and aviator shades and probably couldn't lift a thing but Steve, being Steve, is appreciative none the less. Bucky rolls his eyes. 

After miraculously fitting everything in the car, be it in the trunk, piled around the car floor, or strapped onto the roof the the car, they head back to Brooklyn with no problems. This is a great accomplishment Steve thinks since it's Max's first time out, even thought he mostly kept to himself and Bucky. It's an accomplishment no matter what.

The real problem starts when they get home. 

 

"STEVE!" Bucky shouts. In less than five seconds the super soldier is in the spare bedroom looking at Max and Bucky for any signs of injury. Instead he finds Max playing in a box full of styrofoam and Bucky looking helplessly at pieces of the boy's race car bed set scattered across the room.

Steve puts his hands on his hips in annoyance at the false emergency. Bucky doesn't seem to think it was false though. 

"THis makes nOooooo senseee," the brunette practically whines kicking his feet. Max, still in the box, copies Bucky and kicks his feet to.

"Did you read the instructions?" Steve asks. 

"Obviously, they're right here. But it doesn't make any sense, it doesn't even sound like fricken English." Bucky argues, censoring his words since Max has a habit of copying only Bucky's choice words.

"Did you try reading it in Russian?" Steve flips the page over. If Steve said that joke a few months ago it wouldn't sit well with either of them, but since Bucky's gotten better he's learned that laughter is the best medicine and that whhen Steve joked too it felt reminded the both of them of old times, which helped him a lot. 

Bucky sticks his tongue out but smirks after. 

"How about you read the instructions out loud and tell me what to do and I'll follow," Bucky suggests. 

Steve sighs dramtically. " _You_ listen to _me_ ," he drops to his knees in front of Bucky and puts a hand to his forehead. "Dear god," he gasps, "I think he's finally a goner."

Only a second after Bucky huffs he grabs Steve.

"Alright alright! Stop!" Steve yells in between snorts. Bucky still remembers the blonde's tickle spots, how could he forget? He laughs as Bucky tickles him relentlessly until Max's squeals break them apart.  
They both look to him to see what caught his attention and see his face scrunched up in that infamous confused Barnes expression. Bucky chuckles, now holding Steve by his waist. 

"What is it bud?" He asks. 

Max points to them. "What?" he says pointing at the two. Bucky fills in the rest of his question. 

"What are we doing? I'm tickling him," he responds. 

The boy crinkles his eyebrows even further, forgetting his styrofoam and cardboard box, and climbs out. He waddles towards the two, bits of styrofoam in between his toes.

"You don't think..." Steve turns to Bucky.

"He has to know what..." Bucky says as vaguely as Steve, the realization plastered on both of their faces.

Max has never been tickled before.

Bucky turns to the boy now standing in front of of him. He takes him by his waste and settles him into his lap. 

"Tickling, is a feeling that makes you want to laugh when someone pokes your tickle spots," Bucky explains. He takes one of Max's hands in his own. 

"Com'ere Steve," he commands. 

"Why me?"

"Just do it for the sake of the boy."

Steve huffs but grins a little. 

"Now tickle Steve's tummy like this," Bucky pokes Steve's side with Max's hand and he giggles reflexively scrunching away. Max looks up at Steve and then Bucky. 

He smiles and tickles Steve again.

Steve tries to hold in a laugh but can't, inching away from the boy's tiny chubby fingers. Max starts to giggle at Steve's reactions and soon he's off of Bucky's lap and on top of Steve’s, tickling the mess out of the super soldier who can't do anything to defend himself all so Max can learn what tickling is. Bucky does nothing but laugh. But when Steve can't take it anymore he grabs the boy off guard. Max screams in delight as Steve plops him on the floor and inches his hand to the toddler's stomach. 

"You think that's funny?" He muses at the boy. Max start to wriggle under Steve, giggling in suspense. 

"You think that's cute. You think you can tickle me," he presses. The boy starts to giggle even more. 

"I'll give you something to laugh at!" Steve exclaims as he start to tickle the boy's stomach. The kid's hysterical laughter fills the room and Steve's and Bucky's start almost immediately after. It's a contagious, wonderful, adorable sound and everything in between. After a few seconds Max can't take it anymore.

"Nuff...Nuff!" He sequels as if saying _enough_.

Steve reels back and sees Bucky wiping his eyes from laughing too much, his phone on the floor next to him. Max's giggles die down and the toddler starts to get to his feet, smiling wider than they've ever seen. But Steve thinks he sees a glint of of something else in the three year old's eyes.

He was right. 

Surprising Bucky for the first time since before the fall, Max surprise attacks Bucky and successfully tickles the brunette back onto the floor. After a few seconds Bucky gets the upper hand and hugs the toddler tight.

"You little sneak!" He grins. Bucky threatens Max with more tickling until they reach a truce.

All on the floor tired of the tickle-fest, Steve decides that it’d be best to leave assembling bed for tomorrow.


	5. It's Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters to write so far ~irrelevant note but wtvr

It's been almost two weeks after Steve and Bucky got Max and he's started to open up more to them then they could've ever hoped for. Steve finds that Bucky's sent pictures of Max tickling Steve to their comical 'Avengers Group Chat', ingeniously named by Stark himself even if he rarely contributed to the chat, still keeping a distant profile. In retaliation he sends pictures of Bucky coaxing Max into eating pizza for the first time and how five minutes later they can't get him to stop. Sam sends pictures of his nieces and nephews and how they should meet one day but the chat is basically taken over by the Avengers fawning over the two year old. Max even braves enough to FaceTime Nat since she's over seas who practically coos at Max's hulk t-shirt (one of Bucky's choices). While Bucky is getting Max ready for bed after having him wave goodbye to Nat, Steve takes over the call. 

"Hey," he begins, about to ask how her 'trip' was going.

"I have news," she starts with urgency.

"Oh?" He asks.

"It's about Max," she clears.

"Oh," he responds more seriously. 

Natasha doesn't waste anytime. "She was his surrogate mother, applied for the Linguistics job, teaching him English as part of his training. Miraculously they hired her, most likely had some resigning maternal connection with him still, knew that he wouldn't be safe without him taking care of him."

"I'm sure she would have," Steve interjects solemnly. "She also knew we were the fathers. She taught them Nat didn't she?" Steve knew the answer.

"She did. She definitely taught them more then his mandatory curriculum because a few days before we took the base down they found out, they..."

"Killed her," Steve finishes, his jaw clenched.

"Tried to, I assume that's why Max was completely silent when and since we found him."Nat cuts him off, he looks up at the screen showing her face.

"Tried to," he repeats, "but she's alive?" Steve figures hopefully.

"Steve," she cuts him off again, "she got away but I don't know where she is. I have nothing on her not even her name. That's all I have so far my sources don't know anything else. The rest of the people who had any information on her were the people we basically blew up at the base and the files, which we also blew up."

"But wouldn't they document it somewhere online, people barely file with paper anymore, right?"

"Yea but maybe they didn't even file her name down, probably wasn't important to their cause. It could've been a 'street deal' you know? Be a surrogate, get cash, get out, but she probably saw him Steve. Loved him and figured out what he was so she had to find anyway to protect him. They saw her being more affectionate than she was allowed and tried too...because she knew too much already. Maybe they figured out she was teaching him about you and Steve. That part I don't know. All I know is she got out," Nat sighs. "But what's important is that she taught him enough to know you two, to know that you to are safe."

"But why?"

"I don't know Steve! To give him a reason not to conform to their training wholeheartedly, for the common good, I don't-" she freezes, her watch beeping. "Mission, bye Steve," she blows a kiss and abruptly ends the call. Steve is left their with a blank expression, taking it all in. 

"Steve?" Bucky asks behind him, holding Max in his arms. 

"Hey," Steve smiles solemnly, "I thought you were putting him to bed?"

"You're not there," Bucky responds, matching his tone. His face is plastered with concern but he doesn't say anything about it. The toddler in his arms looks at Steve, bobs and lays his head down on Bucky's chest, his eyes still open and concentrated on Steve but they're slowly drooping. 

"Buck he can go to sleep with you you're his favorite," Steve jokes. Even though they eventually got Max's race car bed put together along with all his other furniture and clothes situated in the spare room, the toddler prefers to sleep with the two of them. Bucky's concern is momentarily forgotten as his face scrunched up. 

"I am not," he protests, "He likes you as much as he likes me,"

Steve chuckles. "Buck," he starts but stops when the two year old pulls away from Bucky and reaches for Steve, as if on cue. Bucky, seeing he's Steve proved wrong, smirks. Steve forgets his annoyance for a moment as he reaches warmly for the toddler, taking the small child into his huge supersoldier arms. He holds him close to his chest and the boy lays his head in the crook of Steve's neck. Bucky watches the two and smiles. As Steve is looking at Max he sees a flash in the corner of his eye and looks up to see Bucky furiously typing on his phone. Not even a second later Steve is coming after him while Bucky giggles, backing down the hallway.

"Steeeevee you take pictures of Max and I and send it to that group chat _all_ the time," he draws out the word 'all' as he giggles, "this is pay back." He's still backing up. Steve is about to corner him when Max starts to whine at the quick movement. Steve shushes him, forgetting going after Bucky, and walks him to their bedroom. With Bucky's little fiasco forgotten as the three head to bed. Steve puts the small boy in the middle of their huge mattress and proceeds to get under the covers beside him as Bucky does the same on Max's other side. Carefully sandwiched between the two of them, the tiny blonde opens his eyes one last time as Bucky flattens down his hair, and closes his eyes, finally asleep. Steve and Bucky carefully kiss the toddler's head, wishing him a goodnight and then kissing each other. As they lay their heads down Bucky asks about the conversation with Natasha so Steve tells him everything. 

"She could be out there Steve," Bucky says as he strokes Max's hair. The two year old is adorably faintly snoring.

"She could," Steve agrees.

"You think he'd be better with her?" He asks, revealing his insecurity. 

"Buck," Steve strokes the brunette's jaw, "she told him about us. She knew somehow that he'd be with us, that we'd be with him. She obviously taught him we were good."

"You think she might've been wrong?"

"Buck?"

"No Steve listen," Bucky pleads. "What happens if I lash out, if I have a flashback. What if something triggers me to freak out. I already worried about hurting you even thought you're strong and all and can take care of yourself and whatever else you say. But he's...a kid. I couldn't do that to him I couldn't risk it. Maybe I'm good but what if I can't control it."

Steve knew this wasn't about Bucky's triggers which were gone now. He knew this was about Bucky still doubting himself, even though he's made progress, Max is a whole different story, a whole new level of vulnerability. 

"Buck," Steve says, "you can baby. Who was the one who decided to sign the papers? Who was the one who wanted desperately to protect this child before even knowing him?"

"You did too Steve."

"That's not the point Buck. You are good and you are in control now. And even if you do have flashbacks, which I have too, I wouldn't give him up for the world even if it's only been a few days," he finishes, looking down at the innocent toddler. 

Bucky finally relents because after he sighs he grabs Steve's hand in the dim light of the room. 

"I love you Steve," he says. 

"I love you too Bucky. I love you too," Steve says kissing his hand. 

They fall asleep holding hands across Max making a protective V over the boy as they all drift off into the night dreamless.

 

\------

 

Steve wakes up wet and doesn't know why. 

He slowly gets up and reaches to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. He here's Bucky waking up at hearing Steve shuffle around. Steve looks over to Bucky to see what happened but is abruptly cut off when Bucky jumps out of the bed. 

"Steve where's Max!" Bucky practically shouts. 

Steve's heart skips a beat as he looks over to the middle of the bed to find it empty, filled instead with a huge wet spot. He sighs in relief. 

"It's ok Buck he just wet the bed," Steve gestures to the wet spot. Bucky squints and sees it, also sighing in relief. 

"But where is he Stevie," Bucky questions calmer this time. His question is answered not a moment later. Steve and Bucky have heard Max whine before, sometimes even sniffle when he's really cranky or upset. 

But it's the first time they hear Max really, truly cry. 

 

Steve flips off the covers and hurries out of the bedroom, Bucky a close behind him. They follow the sound to the bathroom and open the door only to find nothing there but Max's heartbreaking muffled cries. Steve quickly traces the sound to the cabinet under the sink and slowly opens the door with Bucky standing at his side. 

Max is staring up at Steve in horror, desperately trying to cover up his choked sobs with a two small hands. At the sight of the two men a fresh stream of tears falls from the toddler's face.

The sight makes their hearts shatter.

Steve reaches for Max in an attempt to comfort him but the toddler starts to shake his head profusely, trying to scoot further away from them but fails since his back is already up against the inside corner of the cabinet. Instead it only makes his feet slide from under him over and over again, which breaks Steve's heart even more. 

Bucky starts to cry. 

"They punished him when he wet the bed Steve," he says, his voice cracking. Steve looks to Bucky as a single tear falls from his own eyes.

"You don't think..." Steve stops himself. Of course they did, it was an inconvenience to the Hydra agents, a waste of time. They hurt Max for something he couldn't control. He knew what the punishment was, it's why he's acting this way.

Steve looks back to the toddler. He's still staring at the two of them, his hands have left his mouth and are now at his sides. He shakes, still struggling to keep himself from crying. They probably punished him for crying too.

"Max, it's alright Max, it's okay," Steve coaxes, "it's not you're fault it was an accident."

Max stares at the floor near Steve's knees still trying his hardest to compose himself. Bucky's still silently crying to Steve's right, staring at the floor too. He tries to reassure the two year old some more but it's not working, until Steve has an idea. 

He puts his hand on Bucky's shoulder cautiously, getting him to look up at Steve, he then grabs Bucky's hand and pulls it towards the open cabinet door so Max can see. Steve closes his hand and puts up his pinky, gesturing for Bucky to do it too. They interlock pinkies and gesture for Max to look. The two year old looks up to see. Hesitantly he thinks of what to do. Finally he slowly puts his pinky up and carefully moves it towards Steve and Bucky's interlocked ones. He doesn't look them in the eye but he interlocks his small pinky with his own, remembering their silent promise to him the first night in the spare bedroom. 

"We'll never hurt you Max. We're safe," Steve assures. Max knows they're safe but he still needs reassurance after spending literally his whole life in a Hydra lab, with people who probably beat him and punished him, people who cared for an expirement, not _him_. 

Steve and Bucky cared about him though.

Max slowly retracts his hand. Sniffling, he tries to wipe his nose with the back of his arm as Steve and Bucky look at him with sad smiles. 

"Come here baby," Bucky coos at the toddler.

He slowly crawls out of the cabinet and into Steve and Bucky's lap since they're practically sitting on top of each other now. He looks up at them with his blue-grey Barnes eyes, still pouting but only a little. Bucky unrolls some tissue and turns back to wipe the child's eyes and nose. After throwing the tissue away Steve lifts the child to his side, getting him to wrap his legs around Steve's waist and lay his head on his chest, still whining and sniffling, but not as much as before. His ragged breathing starts to slow as Bucky wraps his arms around Steve's other side and Max. Steve has one arm wrapped around the toddler and the other around Bucky, snuggling them both close in his lap. 

After Max gets over the fact that they wouldn't do anything if he sucked his thumb (probably another thing Hydra punished him for) he was sucking it sweetly, patting his little chest rhythmically with his hand, as if comforting himself. Bucky was watching him since they were facing each other, their sides resting on Steve's chest, and Steve was watching the both of them, not ever wanting to let go.


	6. It's a Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part One of this Chapter. New experiences! Max is growing more and more familiar with the two beloved heroes.

"So when do I get to see the little guy again?" 

"When you happen to be off that mission," Bucky replies to the redhead who's about 5,000 miles away. 

"Happens to be that I am smarty. Actually I'm already in the city," Nat shoots back. 

Huh. Guess she's not 5,000 miles away then. 

"So you gonna answer my question Soldier or do I have to ask twice," she finishes. 

"I'll let Steve know," Bucky responds smoothly. 

Nat makes a noise of agreement but before hanging up she asks,

"How're you doing James?" He knew she was talking about the whole situation. She only called him James when it was serious, and she took no bs answers when it was. 

He shifts from one foot to the next still standing in front of his and Steve's bedroom window looking for signs of life at sniper advantage points. Tony assured Steve when he opted for a Brooklyn apartment that this was the safest, they were facing the water, but still...

Old habits die hard.

"He's too precious Nat, too innocent, too fragile. He's like Steve and he's not. Steve can take me, he knows what I've been through but...he doesn't know, not truly. This kid...he knows what it's like to be trapped, to be trained even if only for a small while, though it was literally his whole life, but he _doesn't_ know me. He doesn't know that I could hurt him or Steve. He doesn't know that even if I did I didn't mean it."

Nat shows signs of interrupting him but he talks over her, still trying to maintain a whisper. He looks back at the snoring Steve, sprawled out on his back covering half the bed (they had to get a king size to fit the both of them). But the real person he was afraid of waking up was the sleeping toddler who was sprawled over the super soldier in the exact same manner, adorably drooling off the side of Steve's shirt. 

Serves the blond right, that's what he gets for snoring all night. 

"Nat," he pulls himself back into the he phone conversation, "he's ours, biologically or not. We...I love him. I don't," he hitches in a breathe, "I _can't_ hurt him."

Natasha waits a moment. She doesn't bother smothering Bucky with things like 'you won't ever hurt them' or 'James you're fine now' because they both know what it feels like to be helpless because of their own selves.

"You're afraid that you're gonna hurt him when out of all people you should be, you are the person who should be protecting him the most." Natasha reads his mind. 

"Yea, y'know what I mean."

"Then focus on protecting him James. Steve will help eight he rest, you know he always does. You're always gonna worry about things like this, but as long as that starspangledbanner and the rest of us are by your side, it'll be pretty dam hard for you to mess up. And when you do well give you hell for feeling sorry about something you've worked your hardest to control. Hydra was your past,"

He flinches at the name but Natasha continues knowing its effect on him.

"It was James," she continues, "The Red Room was mine. We can't change it, it happened. But don't let it define you. Sometimes...it even brings goodness for you in the future."

He looks back at his family again.

"It gave me these two bums," he says after her long speech. He can hear the smile in her voice. "Brought me here with you guys, even if some of you are unbearable," Like Tony and that weird floating red guy that tends to get Bucky tense.

"And it brought me you Yasha," Natasha says, in that soft and sure voice she reserves for times like these. "But tell me, when can I see that bright boy, that is, if he remembers me,"

"Please, no one can forget a redhead," Bucky banters even though she's teasing herself about something that hits a little too close to home. All she's ever done in life is be forgotten, it's her job. She always has and continues to need to have countless aliases, always a different person, who's purpose is always to be forgotten. He knew, was one of the only people that knew, deep down she had almost forgotten herself, but Max would prove her wrong if no one else could.

"4 hours?" She asks if it's ok for her to come over.

"Count on it," he confirms. 

As soon as he hangs up the phone he feels eyes staring at him. Turning around he sees the once snoring blonde now looking at him sleepily, most likely hearing the end of the call. 

"Mornin' sunshine," Bucky smiles at Steve. 

"Nat?" He asks pretending he wasn't being nosy. 

"She'll be here soon. You up for a day out?" Bucky asks changing the subject before Steve has a chance to pry. 

"Umm...how about a day in?" Steve asks which is totally unlike himself and more like Bucky. It's a surprise he didn't get up for a run this morning, but Bucky assumes he'll make up for it later tonight. One thing Steve has and always will be is restless. Unlike most people with PTSD instead of loosing interest in getting active or doing energy-draining things Steve's always wanting to be doing something. It clashes, his therapist says, with his comical patriotic trait of making things right, and if things aren't he blames it on himself. He thinks justice and righteousness are his responsibility, and if they aren't reached he also takes on the guilt, an enormous amount of it at that which is unhealthy for any person whether he's a hero or not. So when he isn't doing something it's a problem, because to Steve there are a million other things he could be doing that can help and if he's not and something happens, for instance, on his jogging trail where he would've been this morning if he didn't sleep in it's "his fault." And that's where the effects of his PTSD come in and make the situation for Steve even worst. So Steve sleeping in and persuading the idea even further was more than out of character. 

"Are you okay?" Bucky asks with a concerned look on his face. 

"I mean we should go out, definitely. But to the movies maybe? Since Nat's _just_ coming back from a mission. She probably wants to keep a low profile before her briefing you know?"

Oh so it was just Steve being considerate. Nothing to worry about then.

"Oh, that's a great idea babe, I didn't think of it." Bucky responds to him. 

"Oooo I'll look it up on my trusty smartphone," Steve says excitedly already fumbling with the thing which makes Bucky laugh. He can already hear Tony making fun of their age just as he did when he first handed Steve the phone.

Bucky walks over to he bed and gives Steve an Eskimo kiss for being so cute and follows with an actual kiss on the blondes lips. He bends to peck the still-drooling Max lightly on the head

"I'm making pancakes," he announces as he turns and walks out of the room.

 

"Heyyyyyy bud," Bucky coos at tiny blond rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. The adorable little thing walks very slowly to the kitchen counter where Bucky had just started to set the plates on. 

"Come here," he says as he stretches out his arms for Max. The toddler does the same and Bucky picks up the two year old with ease and hugs him. 

"Guess where we're going today?" Bucky says to Max. The boy shrugs his shoulders and makes an unsure noise.

"Blondie didn't tell you?" Bucky asks dramatically referring to Steve. The two still didn't know what Max wanted to call them, if he wanted to call them anything at all. They were, in their minds, a family, but since Max barely knew what that meant they didn't want to force him into something he wasn't comfortable with yet. Pulling on their shirts was okay for now.

"We're going to the movieesss!!!" Bucky exclaims to the toddler. Steve strolls up to the two chewing on something that probably shouldn't be in his mouth yet. Bucky glares at him. 

"Hey that's breakfast we didn't sit down yet."

Steve pecks him instead of listening. 

He takes Max and sets him down on a stool and sits next to him and Bucky stands on the other side of the counter across from them, putting a pancake on Max's plate and a huge stack on Stevens's then his own. Although they've lived together for about half a month, Max's eyes still go wide at the amount of food Steve and Bucky eat. 

They grin and dig in.

"What's movies?" Max asks in the middle of a forkfull. 

"You know what a movie is buddy we watch them on tv," Steve answers. 

"No...Showwwws" Max states like it's an obvious thing. 

"Ohh," Bucky chuckles. "Well yeah there are shows on tv mostly but there are movies too. Like the really long ones we watch sometimes."

"Ohh," Max mimics the way Bucky says the word which makes Steve smirk. They continue eating until Max perks up again. 

"Why outside then," his face is scrunched up. 

"Because outside they play movies in a big building with rooms with lots of seats and a huge screen only used to watch movies." Steve answers yet again. 

"Why?"

"Because it's a bigger screen then at home and when movies first come out that's where they're played," Bucky chimes in. 

"Why?" 

"Because that's how they make money," Steve responds. 

"What?"

"Money."

"Why?"

"So the actors get paid."

"What?"

"Actors."

"What?"

"People who play in movies."

"Why?"

"Why do they play in movies or why do they make money?"

"Both."

"Because it's their job and because they need money to live."

"Why?"

Instead of taking the fricking hint that the two year old was messing with him Steve is about to start explaining the economic purposes for currency when he notices Bucky's doubled over with laughter. 

"What?" He asks innocently. 

"Steve he's messing with you!"

"No he's not I think he's actually curious to-" he stops as he looks over to see a slow grin forming on the child's face.

The look on Steve's face is priceless. 

Bucky and the toddler start giggling at the super soldiers blunder as Steve mutters to himself. 

"Only a Barnes."

Bucky perks up at this. 

"Excuse me! What did you say," he leans over the table with his metal arm.

"You heard what I said James Buchanan Barnes."

"Oh really, well lemme tell you we _Barnes_ are quite alright but you _Rogers_ on the other hand are-"

Bucky's phone starts to ring. 

"This isn't over Rogers." He receives a tongue out from Steve in return. 

"Hello?" Bucky answers 

"Just wanted to tell you I'll be a little late," it's Natasha, "does 5 sound good or will it be too late for his bed time?" She asks referring to Max. 

"No that's perfect."

"K."

"Did you give them lip at your briefing again?"

"How'd you know?"

"It's always the case."

"Goodbye James," she strings out the 'goodbye'.

Bucky hangs up the phone. 

"Nat?" Steve asks. 

"Her briefings gonna run a little late. She'll be here at five."

"That's enough time for Max's nap." They've been trying to follow trusty Google's and Clint's suggestions seeing that google has lots of articles on hundred and Clint has like three. Unfortunately putting Max to sleep in the middle of the day hasn't been that successful. They were still trying though. 

Thinking of this Bucky looks to the child after being distracted by Steve as the blonde follows in suit. And there he is, chewing more than a mouthful of Steve's pancakes with his cheeks puffed out and everything. He senses their silence and looks up. The kid's huge blue-grey eyes switch back and forth from the two of them with the rest of his body frozen, caught in the act. 

"You have some explaining to do mister." Steve is trying to hold back a grin. 

The three are caught in dead silence, Bucky and Steve waiting for Max to respond in anyway, struggling to hold back smiles. Max, being the adorable kid he is, watches them as he take one long, pancake stuffed chew. 

Bucky starts laughing his head off for real this time at what a sneak this kid is. Thankful he's got it out for Steve he looks up to see the infamous super soldier laughing at Max and his own despair. 

"Maybe he's a Barnes for having it out for you Steve but by Lady Liberty you've gotta give it to him for stuffing his gullet. He's a Rogers Steve. He's a Rogers," Bucky pants."

Steve fakes a grouchy face at Max as the two year old swallows the stolen pancakes and grins. The bigger blond makes a dramatic snag at the single remaining pancake on his plate looking right at Max. He thinks they both don't see it but, he grins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you really like this fic and wish for it to continue let me know! It was just a short commemoration to bibliomerd07's original fic because I loved it so much. If it continues I have a lot planned. Thanks for reading!


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